Wednesday, April 2, 2008

'ex-gay' group using Starbucks to promote message

I noticed yesterday that our local 'ex-gay' ministry, The Portland Fellowship, launched a new website to recruit churches. Prominently display on their website is their $5.00 Starbucks gift card offer which they are using to entice churches. It's odd and confusing to me that an ex-gay/anti-gay ministry would use the products and services of a gay-inclusive company (HRC: 100).

I may be making a big deal out of nothing, but I somehow doubt an image-conscious company like Starbucks would appreciate their brand being used to promote a controversial political/religious message. It seems to me that PF is using Starbucks' prestige to make its fringe, harmful ministry seem sane, reasonable, and mainstream -- like a grande, vanilla, soy latte.